Learn More About Gotz WEICHBABY Baby Dolls
One popular type of baby doll offered by Gotz is classified as a "WEICHBABY." The word "WEICHBABY" is German; it means SOFT BABY in English. While there are several different types of WEICHBABY doll body types, as described below, WEICHBABYs all have one thing in common: they are all soft-bodied, non-articulated baby dolls. SOFT BABY baby dolls are recommended for ages newborn and older. WEICHBABYs are baby dolls designed to be children's play things and are intended to resemble young babies/infants in their physical appearance. They are specifically designed "soft" to be cuddled and loved by little ones; in addition, they are also designed to enhance creative child play; spark young children's imaginations, and help develop a child's emotional connectivity. WEICHBABY baby dolls are primarily intended for children ages 3+ and are designed to be machine-washable. If you would like to view all currently indexed WEICHBABY Baby Dolls, please click here. Doll Torsos WEICHBABY baby dolls have a soft, padded doll torso stuffed with various materials (such as foam; soft pellets; polyester stuffing, etc). Their bodies are typically covered with cloth (or another soft material); the color of the material can vary from white to tan to various shades of brown, but typically is close to matching the doll's physical skin coloring. Some doll babies will have weighted bottoms; these dolls may sit on their own if positioned correct. WEICHBABY baby dolls have "soft" shoulders and hips; they are non-articulated baby dolls. WEICHBABY baby dolls cannot sit/stand unaided; they require the help of a doll stand or a prop to lean against. Please note: some WEICHBABYs may have weighted bottoms that are stitched in the hip in such a way that mimics a hip joint and allows these baby dolls to sit unaided. However, as they do not have actual hip "joints," these baby dolls are still considered to be non-articulated. Weichbaby.ClothKnees.jpg|WEICHBABY with 1/4 vinyl limbs|linktext=This WEICHBABY has elbows and knees made of padded cloth. WeichbabyMamaCrierART.jpg|This WEICHBABY is hip-stitched.|linktext=This WEICHBABY is stitched across the hips to enable it to sit unaided. 17-gotz-african-american-black-doll_1_9ecab1994b111e329f0cde8dfaee92b6.jpg|This baby doll represents a typical WEICHBABY.|linktext=This WEICHBABY has soft shoulders, hips, and doll torso. Doll Heads & Limbs Most WEICHBABY baby dolls will have 3/4 vinyl limbs, although some WEICHBABY doll bodies may have less than this (see photos above). This vinyl is made from a high-quality, soft vinyl intended to resemble the softness of human skin. Doll heads and necks are also made of vinyl; doll heads are inserted into the cloth doll torso and secured with either a long neckstring or a zip tie, which secures the neck within the torso. The result is that head can be rotated manually within the doll torso, however, the head is non-jointed and does not move separately from the neck. As baby dolls, WEICHBABYs typically have molded vinyl "bent" knees; their knees (and typically elbows if the elbow is also made of vinyl) are purposefully designed to mimic that of a young child, which cannot walk or stand on its own. In fact, most WEICHBABY are designed specifically not to be able to sit as young babies and infants ordinarily lay primarily on their backs. Perhaps you have also noticed that oftentimes, you will also see multiple skin "folds" on the legs as well. In addition, some baby dolls will have big toes separated from the rest of the toes and hands may appear primarily "fisted" with varying finger positions. Doll Hair Just as there are a variety of different WEICHBABY doll body types, there is also a variety of hair types commonly seen on WEICHBABYs. Rooted Hair Rooted hair is made from high-quality fibers of hair that is sewn into the doll's scalp; in other words, small groupings of hair are machine-inserted (or "punched") into the interior of the doll's scalp, forming hair. Rooted hair is very durable as it is essentially sewn into the doll's head from the inside out; therefore, it stands up to repeated pulling/tugging/yanking, etc. Rooted hair is offered in a variety of different hair colors (such as black, blonde, brown), hair lengths (typically either short, medium, or long), and with different hair styles (most fall into four categories: straight, straight with a slight curl at the bottom; slightly curly, or tightly curled). Rooted hair is mostly found on dolls within the infant/toddler age bracket. Bald Baby Dolls: Sculpted; Molded; Painted Hair Some WEICHBABY baby dolls have been designed to resemble the likeness of a newborn or very young baby; therefore, they do not have physical hair. Instead, their hair may be sculpted onto their head or molded into their skull with/without a hair color; the doll may also have hair that has been painted on. GOTZ 214 16 NS.jpg|Example of the small groupings of hair that appear on rooted haired dolls. Sculpted Hair Baby Doll.jpg|This baby doll has SCULPTED HAIR; hair has been added to the exterior of the scalp. 1989AndreyWeichHair.jpg|This baby doll has MOLDED HAIR; lines of hair are grooved into the doll's skull. Doll Eyes Most WEICHBABYs will have plastic "sleepy-eyes," though some may have "fixed: painted" eyes. Eye color can come in various shades. To learn more about Gotz doll eyes, please click here. WEICHBABY.mydolls.jpg|Example of the appearance of a plastic sleepy-eye. The eyes open/close when the vertical position of the doll is changed. FixedPaintedBabyEye.jpg|Example of a WEICHBABY with fixed, painted doll eyes. Doll Sizes & Ages Most Gotz WEICHBABY baby dolls comes in sizes ranging from 10" - 22" in height. The age the baby doll is intended to reflect is not reflected in the size of the doll size. WEICHBABYs are designed to resemble newborns, young babies, infants, and young toddlers. To help narrow the search for a specific baby doll, Gotz Doll Wiki has placed WEICHBABYs in either of these two categories: newborn/babies and infant/toddlers (click on either hyperlink to be redirected to indexed baby dolls within such age groups). ONB.jpg|To see all currently indexed NEWBORN/BABY BABY DOLLS, please click this photo.|link=https://gotz-doll.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Newborn/Baby_-_Baby_Dolls Weichbaby2.jpg|To see all currently indexed INFANTS/TODDLER WEICHBABY baby dolls, please click this photo.|link=https://gotz-doll.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Infant/Toddler_-_Baby_Dolls Doll Outfits WEICHBABYs are dressed in a variety of age-appropriate, removable clothing. Some baby dolls wear simple knitted outfits while others wear cute dresses or jumpers. Fabrics and materials are selected for their durability and care than for their physical appearance. Some WEICHBABYs wear knitted or plastic "booties" while others may not come with shoes/socks. As baby dolls designed for young children, whatever the outfit or material, it is intended to be soft and physically appealing to children. Different Types of WEICHBABYs Some WEICHBABYs are designed specifically to make noises: these include WEICHBABY "mit MAMASTIMME" (soft babies that cry "Mama"). Note: these baby dolls do require batteries to work. To view all currently indexed WEICHBABY mit MAMASTIMME Baby Dolls, please click this link. How to Identify a Gotz WEICHBABY Baby Doll It can be hard to differentiate between a Play Doll; a Handcrafted Doll, or an Artist Doll. WEICHBABY baby dolls typically share the following characteristics (note: if the baby doll you are trying to identify has a wig, it is an Artist Doll). *All WEICHBABY baby dolls will have a soft torso with soft shoulders and hips; their upper arms and upper thighs will also be soft. The material is primarily cloth but may also vary (especially on older dolls). *Most WEICHBABYs have soft 3/4 vinyl limbs although some also have 1/4 vinyl limbs. These limbs oftentimes are specifically molded to appear "bent" at the elbows and knees. *One or more hand(s) will be "fisted" (vs. both "open"); finger positions may vary. *No WEICHBABY will be able to stand on its own (their toes point downwards). *WEICHBABYs typically cannot sit on their own; they require the help of a prop to lean against. **Note: some WEICHBABY may be able to sit on their own but they do not have jointed hips (these WEICHBABYs typically are hip-stitched and some are designed specifically to sit this is more frequently seen within the artist doll category). *Their neck and head will be made of vinyl (their heads will not turn separately from their neck). *WEICHBABYs will either be bald with sculpted, molded, or painted doll hair and some will have rooted hair; no WEICHBABYs will be wigged. *WEICHBABY doll outfits will be simple and soft; they are typically made of some form of cotton and are designed more for their ease of care and durability than for their appearance. Secondary Market Prices For those looking for an idea of what a WEICHBABY baby doll on the secondary market may be worth, there are three factors Buyers consider: who the doll is; what the doll is, and the condition of the doll. For example, the Gotz Baby Dolls that are considered the prototype for the American Girl Pleasant Company "BITTY BABY" and "OUR NEW BABY" baby dolls are highly collectible, specifically 1989 ROMY and baby dolls such as 1989 BOBBY. These specific baby dolls will command the highest prices. Note: the neckstamp in the case of ROMY defines her as a pre-Bitty Baby facial mold. Regular WEICHBABY Play Dolls are the least expensive type of Gotz Play Doll produced; they are mass-produced with quality fabrics and materials and are not designed by a specific doll artist. For these reasons, they command the least secondary market price. Designer WEICHBABY Baby Dolls such as those designed for Martha Pullen's DRESS ME doll line are limited edition baby dolls that have high-quality outfits designed and produced specially by Martha Pullen. For these reasons, these WEICHBABY baby dolls are worth more than regular Play Dolls. As mentioned, the condition of the item affects the sale price. Dolls in their original state (i.e. hair in an untouched state) with their original outfit (all pieces), and original paperwork (including tags), with their original box ''will be worth more than a doll that is dirty, with an odor or irreversible eye conditions such as BUBBLE EYE are worth considerably less regardless of who they are.'' MY BEST ADVICE: It is best to consider the condition of the baby doll and review recent sales of similar dolls to determine the value of an item (note: consider the actual sale price NOT the listing price!) on selling platforms such as Ebay when you are considering what to price a WEICHBABY baby doll for. I hope you found this article helpful and informative in understanding what a WEICHBABY baby doll is! Don't forget, with a Gotz Baby Doll you cannot go wrong! Category:Weichbaby = Soft Baby Category:Doll Category:Doll Index Category:Learn How to Identify a Gotz Doll Category:Cloth Torso Baby Dolls Category:Soft-Bodied Baby Dolls Category:Non-Articulated Baby Dolls Category:Body Type Category:General Information Category:Article Category:Article Stub Category:Requires Fill-In Category:Photo Needed Category:ADMINISTRATION